If people participate in World Naked Gardening Day on May 4, can they wear gardening gloves?

“Oh, there are no rules!” says Mark Storey, 53, a Seattle-area resident and co-creator of World Naked Gardening Day. “If I’m gardening naked and if I need a hat or shoes on, that’s fine. People are pretty rational… This is not a religion.”

Established in 2005, World Naked Gardening Day is a tradition that celebrates planting flower bulbs, weeding, and trimming bushes in the buff. While it’s linked to a movement of nudists who promote wholesome and unashamed acceptance of the human body, the day is meant to be funny, lighthearted and non-political.

founder Mark Storey

“We figured if people tried gardening naked once, they would smile,” said Storey, who came up with the idea with his friend, Daniel Johnson. “They’d see that nudity is actually a pleasant and inherently good thing. ...

“It just feels kind of nice to be outside with no clothes on. It doesn’t matter what kind of body shape you have or how old you are.”

World Naked Gardening Day is just one opportunity to be outside with no clothes on. There’s also World Naked Bike Ride and Naked Hiking Day — plus numerous local “clothing optional” outings and excursions, depending on where you live.

Why are people drawn to naked activities?

“It’s not about exposing your body to other people,” said Corky Stanton, 56, of Clothes Free International, an organization that promotes nude recreation. “It’s about body acceptance and being one with nature on your own. ... We actually do these events in secluded areas, so as not to be exhibitionist.”

A definite way to soak up vitamin D

Stanton cited fringe benefits of bare, unabashed recreation: the satisfaction of exercising in the great outdoors; the attractiveness of an all-over tan; more vitamin D on your whole body; the unbeatable experience of skinny-dipping if the naturist event involves a beach or a lake.

OK. But what about cops? Don’t people call them when they spot naked adults in parks or on hiking trails?

Storey said he hasn’t heard of anybody being arrested on World Naked Gardening Day. If participants are really worried about their neighbors, they can do their naked gardening behind walls, working with plants inside their homes or in garages.

“There could be some little old lady in an apartment building in the middle of a big city, trying to put her potted plant into a bigger pot. That would count,” Storey said.

People who really want to give this a try outdoors on Saturday could find a remote hiking trail that could use some cleaning up, Storey suggested. One year, Storey and his wife and friends got up early in the morning and did some naked weeding in a city park.

“A stealth thing,” he said.

Stanton said nude hikers and nature lovers often head out armed with Velcro shorts that they can slip on in a flash if they see other people approaching. “Out of courtesy for them, you get dressed really quickly,” he explained.

What about sharp tools, poison oak?

Storey said he and Johnson haven’t gone to any great lengths to promote World Naked Gardening Day since they dreamt it up. They figured that if the idea was pointless it would die, but if it was a good one it would grow organically all on its own.

Grow it did.

Last year, there were naked-gardening events in Costa Rica, Mexico and throughout Western Europe — a testament to the finding that after swimming, gardening is next on the list of family-friendly activities people would consider doing in the nude.

“We thought this was something most people could try, and they don’t have to do it all day long,” Storey said. “Maybe go out in the backyard and do some weeding, rake some leaves.”

Back in 2005 — the year World Naked Gardening Day got its start — blogger Charles G. Hill wrote the following comical post about it at dustbury.com:

“I am compelled to point out that for all its presumed joys, there are disadvantages to doing this sort of thing, for example: “Yikes! I thought I trimmed that rosebush already!”